1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly an LCD device adapted to prevent the intrusion of foreign substances and a light leakage phenomenon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which are widely used display devices, are mainly used as TVs or monitors for measuring apparatuses or information terminals. However, the heavy weight and large size of the CRTs have been a major hindrance to the manufacturing of small, light electronic products.
To address this matter, LCD devices are gradually being used in a wide range of applications due to advantages such as lightness, thinness, and low power consumption. Accordingly, LCD devices are being manufactured to have larger screens, to be thinner, and to consume less power. Such LCD devices display images by controlling the amount of light transmitted through liquid crystal.
LCD devices are not self-illuminating display devices, unlike CRTs. As such, an LCD device includes a backlight unit provided on the rear surface of an LCD panel. The backlight unit includes a separated light source providing the light necessary to display an image. The backlight unit is classified as either an edge type or a direct type in accordance with the disposition of its light source.
The edge type backlight unit includes a light source which is disposed in a position corresponding to a side of the LCD panel. Also, the edge type backlight unit irradiates light emitted from the light source onto the entire surface of the LCD panel using a light guide panel. On the other hand, the direct type backlight unit includes a plurality of light sources arranged opposite the rear surface of the LCD panel. These plural light sources directly apply light to the rear surface of the LCD panel. The direct type backlight unit has a higher brightness and a wider luminescent surface than the edge type backlight unit because it employs plural light sources.
The LCD panel includes a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate which are opposite each other. The thin film transistor substrate is combined with the color filter substrate by a seal pattern. Then, a liquid crystal material is injected between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate.
The LCD device further includes a top case for preventing the warping of an LCD device. The top case encompasses the edge of upper surface of the LCD panel and is combined with the backlight unit, thereby protecting edges of the LCD panel.
The top case is generally formed from a metal material so that it has characteristically high strength. As such, if the top case comes in contact directly with the LCD device, the contacted edge of the LCD panel can be damaged. In order to prevent the direct contact between the top case and the LCD panel, ordinary LCD devices are being designed to provide a gap between the top case and the LCD panel.
However, the gap between the LCD panel and the top case in the ordinary LCD device enables light from the backlight unit to be discharged to the exterior. In other words, light leakage in the edge of the ordinary LCD device is caused by the gap between the top case and the LCD panel. Therefore, the display quality of LCD device is deteriorated.
In addition, the gap between the top case and the LCD panel allows foreign substances to intrude from the exterior into the LCD device. The foreign substances intruding into the LCD device can be visible to a user.